WO2007060277A1

WO2007060277A1 - Magnetically-regulated watch

Info

Publication number: WO2007060277A1
Application number: PCT/ES2006/070180
Authority: WO
Inventors: Aniceto Jiménez Pita
Original assignee: Jimenez Pita Aniceto
Priority date: 2005-11-25
Filing date: 2006-11-22
Publication date: 2007-05-31
Also published as: EP1959319B1; ES1061716U; ATE498151T1; EP1959319A1; ES1061716Y; DE602006020066D1

Abstract

The invention relates to a watch comprising a motor (1), a case (2), a crown (4) and a motor support (3) which is solidly connected to the motor and which is disposed inside the case. The crown is provided with one or more magnetic elements (5) and the support is provided with one or more magnetic elements (6) corresponding to the magnetic elements (5) of the crown. In this way, when the crown rotates in relation to the case, the magnetic fields of the magnetic elements (5) of the crown move, thereby causing the magnetic elements (6) of the support to move, which, in turn, generates the corresponding rotation of the support and, consequently, of the motor in relation to the case.

Description

Magnetic adjustment clock.

The present invention relates to a clock comprising a machine, a box and a support for the machine, which is integral with said machine and is arranged inside the box.

STATE OF THE PREVIOUS TECHNIQUE

Wrist watches are known in the state of the art with an outer crown attached to a seatpost that acts mechanically on the hands of the clock to enable its setting in time. This time setting system is inconvenient because the seatpost crosses the entire clock machine and strongly conditions its design.

The PCT application of the same applicant published under No. ⁰ WO 2005/045534 describes a clock devoid of seatpost comprising a machine, a cover that provides support for said machine, and a carriage surrounding said machine. During the time setting stage, the machine is integral with the clock cover and the assembly formed by both is rotatably mounted with respect to the carriage, so that at least one clock hand can be set on time by rotating said assembly, with respect to the carriage, in a first direction of rotation. The watch comprises locking means to block with respect to the carriage at least one watch hand when said assembly is rotated, with respect to the carriage, in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation. This arrangement allows setting a needle by turning the machine in one direction, and setting the other needle, without moving the previous one, by turning the machine in the opposite direction.

The described arrangement poses certain difficulties in making the watch perfectly waterproof, for example for use in scuba diving, since the lid and the carriage are different pieces between which a gasket is interposed, and since the clock's operation imposes turning with relative frequency the cover with respect to the carriage, said gasket may suffer wear and lose the tightness. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide a clock devoid of the conventional time setting strap that is perfectly tight even at great depths.

In what follows, similarly to the designation used in watchmaking for an element of the time setting mechanism, "crown" means an actuator element of the time setting device, regardless of the specific form it may take.

Then, according to one aspect of the invention, the watch comprises a crown surrounding the case and means for establishing a magnetic relationship between the crown and the support, so that the rotation of the crown with respect to the case produces a corresponding rotation of the support with respect to it and, consequently, of the machine with respect to the box. This allows the clock to be set without any mechanical link between the exterior and the interior of the case.

Preferably, said magnetic relationship is established based on incorporating one or more magnetic elements in the crown, in the support or in both. If the crown or the support does not include magnetic elements, then it will include them magnetizable, so that they are dragged by the magnetic elements of the other or the other.

Advantageously, at least one of the magnetic elements of the crown is shielded from the outside by means of a insert of a ferromagnetic material that magnetically joins the magnetic element. In this way, the magnetic elements of the crown concentrate its magnetic flux towards the support, inside the box.

In one embodiment, the crown is provided with one or more magnetic elements and the support is provided with one or more magnetic elements in correspondence with the magnetic elements of the crown, so that the rotation of the crown with respect to the case causes a displacement of the magnetic fields of the magnetic elements of the crown that forces to move to the magnetic elements of the support and, consequently, It produces a corresponding rotation in the support and, consequently, in the machine with respect to the box.

Preferably, the magnetic elements of the crown are arranged along the perimeter of the crown with its magnetic axis oriented substantially radially, and, advantageously, said magnetic elements are also arranged so that their magnetic poles alternate successively. Similarly, the magnetic elements of the support are arranged along the perimeter of the support with its magnetic axis oriented substantially radially and also arranged so that its magnetic poles alternate successively. Thus, the magnetic relationship between the magnetic elements of the crown and the magnetic elements of the support is optimal.

In addition, with the radial arrangement said magnetic elements do not affect the operation of the internal mechanisms of the machine.

Advantageously, both the magnetic elements of the crown and the magnetic elements of the support are neodymium.

In one embodiment, the support comprises a ferromagnetic material bushing fitted thereon and integral with it. Then the magnetic elements of the support are simply magnetically attached to said bushing, which, in addition, shields said magnetic elements with respect to the machine and greatly reduces the small magnetic influence that they could have on it.

With the arrangement described, the box is formed in one piece, as a glass with a single opening to fit the glass, and, therefore, be perfectly tight at great depths.

All the systems of the invention are applied in a particularly advantageous way to clocks devoid of setting time in which the machine can rotate with respect to the case.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Next, some embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a bottom view of a clock according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional side view taken on the line M-Il of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional side view, analogous to that of Figure 2, of another embodiment; and Figure 4 is a sectional side view of another element of the embodiment of Figure 3.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figures 1 and 2 represent an embodiment of a clock according to the invention; they are not represented neither the glass, nor the bezel, nor the sphere nor the needles. Said clock comprises a machine 1 housed jointly in a support 3, which in turn is housed with the possibility of rotation) inside a watch case 2. The case 2 is formed in one piece, that is to say, it alone includes the carriage and the clock cover.

The lower part of the box 2 contains a perimeter recess 9 (see figure 3) and a projection 10. A ring-shaped crown 4 is housed in said recess 9, so that its central hollow 11 (see figure 4) fits on projection 10 with the possibility of rotation.

The crown 4 is provided with a plurality of radial holes 12 (in figure 1 two are shown) along its perimeter. In each hole 12 there is a magnetic element or magnet 5 whose magnetic axis follows the radial direction. The arrangement of the magnets 5 is such that the magnetic poles alternate successively, that is, two adjacent magnets have the inverted N-S polarity.

The lower part of the support 3 has a recess in the form of a circular crown 7, which leaves a ring 8 on the periphery of said lower part of the support 3. Similarly to that of the crown, the ring 8 is provided with a plurality of holes radial 13 (in figure 1 two are shown) along its perimeter. In each hole 13 there is a magnetic element or magnet 6 whose magnetic axis follows the radial direction. The arrangement of the magnets 6 is such that the magnetic poles alternate successively, that is, two adjacent magnets have the polarity NS reversed.

The two pluralities of magnets 5 and 6 are arranged concentrically and substantially at the same height.

Thus, if the crown 4 is rotated with respect to the case 2, the displacement of the magnetic fields of the magnets 5 of the crown 4 forces the magnets 6 of the support 3 to move correspondingly, and therefore also rotates it, with Which is obtained a rotation of the machine 1 with respect to the box 2 in correspondence with the rotation of the crown 4.

This rotation of the machine has application, for example, putting into a clock time as described by the applicant in the PCT application published under No. WO 2005/045534 ^0, which is incorporated herein by reference.

This same remote action system between the exterior and the interior of the watch also finds application in the movement of the decompression ring of a diving watch.

Figures 3 and 4 represent another embodiment of a clock according to the invention. The general configuration of this embodiment is similar to the previous one and the elements analogous to those of the previous embodiment have the same reference numbers.

In the embodiment of figures 3 and 4, the machine 1 and the support 3 are arranged inside the projection 10 of the box 2 and said support 3 is shaped like a bushing. A socket 14 is fitted on the support so that both pieces are integral. The bushing 14 is of a ferromagnetic material (for example iron) and on it (although in the figure they are below) the magnets 6 of the support are arranged perimeter. Said magnets 6 magnetically join the socket 14.

The crown 4 of Figure 4 is in the form of a plate or disk with a peripheral projection 22 and, as before, in said projection the holes are made radial 12 in which the magnets 5 of the crown are fitted. Each magnet 5 is shielded from the outside by means of a insert 19 of a ferromagnetic material that magnetically joins the magnet. On each insert 19 there is a relief 20 that protrudes from the hole 12 and allows to firmly grasp the crown 4, so that it can be rotated comfortably with respect to the box 2.

In this embodiment the operation is the same as in the previous one.

The clock also comprises a glass 15, of a thickness sufficient to withstand high pressures, such as that exerted by the water at a considerable depth, which fits against a conical inner wall of the case 2, so that the higher the pressure exerted on the glass the more it is pressed against the case and more tight is this clock closure (its only closure, since the case itself is monobloc).

In general, in order to ensure the tightness between the glass and the case, an inwardly truncated conical fit is provided, which is all the more tightened the greater the pressure acting on the glass, which makes it unnecessary to arrange a joint between the glass and the box.

Although they are not directly related to the present invention, Figure 3 also depicts a sphere 17, needles 18 and a bezel 16 threaded to the case by means of a thread 21.

In one embodiment, either the crown 4 or the support 3 incorporates magnetizable elements (which can be attracted by a magnetic field, for example of a ferromagnetic material) instead of magnetic, provided that the other or the other incorporates magnetic elements . This is feasible because for the operation of a clock according to the invention it is only necessary to establish, by any means, a magnetic relationship between the crown 4 and the support 3.

Preferably the magnets 5 and 6 are neodymium and take the form of cylindrical bars. The rest of the elements of the invention, except the bushing 14 and the inserts 19, are of non-magnetizable materials (such as, for example, brass or gold). Although only particular embodiments of the invention have been represented and described herein, the person skilled in the art will know how to introduce modifications and replace some technical characteristics with equivalent ones, depending on the requirements of each case, without separating from the scope of protection defined by the attached claims.

For example, it has already been mentioned that the crown 4 may have a disk or plate shape with peripheral projection (said projection being the "crown" itself) or it may surround the case 2 in a part other than the lower one.

Or, for example, the magnetic elements 5 or 6 may take any suitable form or arrangement to fulfill their function.

It is also evident that the magnetic or magnetizable materials incorporated into the crown 4 and the support 3 can be any materials suitable for the function that they fulfill in a clock according to the invention.

Claims

1. Clock comprising a machine (1), a box (2) and a support (3, 14) for the machine (1), which is integral with said machine and is arranged inside the box (2) , characterized by the fact that it also comprises a crown (4) surrounding the box (2) and means (5; 6) to establish a magnetic relationship between the crown (4) and the support (3, 14), of so that the rotation of the crown (4) with respect to the box (2) produces a corresponding rotation of the support (3, 14) with respect to it and, consequently, of the machine (1) with respect to the box (2) ).

2. Clock according to claim 1, wherein said means (5; 6) for establishing a magnetic relationship between the crown (4) and the support (3, 14) comprise one or more magnetic elements (5) in the crown ( 4).

3. Clock according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the magnetic elements (5) of the crown (4) is shielded from the outside by means of a insert (19) of a ferromagnetic material that magnetically joins the magnetic element (5).

4. Clock according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said means (5; 6) for establishing a magnetic relationship between the crown (4) and the support (3, 14) comprise one or more magnetic elements (6) in the support (3, 14).

5. Clock according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the crown (4) is provided with one or more magnetic elements (5) and the support (3, 14) is provided with one or more magnetic elements (6) in correspondence with the magnetic elements (5) of the crown (4), so that the rotation of the crown (4) with respect to the case (2) causes a displacement of the magnetic fields of the magnetic elements (5) of said crown that forces to move to the magnetic elements (6) of the support (3, 14) and, consequently, produces a corresponding rotation of the support (3, 14) and, consequently, of the machine (1) with respect to the box ( 2).

6. Clock according to claim 2, 3 or 5, wherein the magnetic elements (5) of the crown (4) are arranged along the perimeter thereof with its magnetic axis oriented substantially radially.

7. Clock according to claim 6, wherein the magnetic elements (5) of the crown (4) are arranged so that their magnetic poles alternate successively.

8. Clock according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the magnetic elements (6) of the support (3, 14) are arranged along the perimeter thereof with its magnetic axis oriented substantially radially.

9. Clock according to claim 8, wherein the magnetic elements (6) of the support (3, 14) are arranged so that their magnetic poles alternate successively.

10. Clock according to any of claims 2 to 9, wherein at least some of said magnetic elements (5, 6) is neodymium.

11. Clock according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the support (3) comprises a sleeve (14) fitted thereon and integral with it.

12. Watch according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bushing (14) is made of a ferromagnetic material.

13. Clock according to claim 12, wherein the magnetic elements (6) of the support (3) are magnetically connected to the bushing (14).

14. Clock according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the box (2) is formed in one piece.

15. Clock according to any of the preceding claims, which is devoid of a time-setting seat and in which the machine (1) can rotate with respect to the box (2).